baleanoptera (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
baleanoptera) wrote2007-03-30 10:43 pm
baleanoptera) wrote2007-03-30 10:43 pm
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Further adventures of Knut the Cute
You all know how some rather extreme environmentalists wanted to kill the über-cute Knut in the Berlin zoo? Well, apparently the show is not over for the polar bear, because now Knut is blamed for a conspiracy to murder! I quote:
Yan Yan, the zoo's most popular resident until Knut's arrival, died suddenly at the age of 22.
A gift from the Chinese leadership to Helmut Kohl, the former German chancellor, Yan Yan spent much of her time lying on her back chomping at bamboo shoots and was, by all accounts, a happy panda. Heinrich Kloes, the zoo's chief bear curator, said there had been no signs of illness.
But something changed on Monday, days after Knut's introduction to tumultuous crowds, and Yan Yan lay down and died. The cause of death has yet to be determined, but already fingers are being pointed at three-month-old Knut.
The theory is that the stress of Knut, or more precisely Knut's fans proved fatal to the poor panda.
The full story is here. But poor Knut! And poor Yan Yan too.
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Yan Yan, the zoo's most popular resident until Knut's arrival, died suddenly at the age of 22.
A gift from the Chinese leadership to Helmut Kohl, the former German chancellor, Yan Yan spent much of her time lying on her back chomping at bamboo shoots and was, by all accounts, a happy panda. Heinrich Kloes, the zoo's chief bear curator, said there had been no signs of illness.
But something changed on Monday, days after Knut's introduction to tumultuous crowds, and Yan Yan lay down and died. The cause of death has yet to be determined, but already fingers are being pointed at three-month-old Knut.
The theory is that the stress of Knut, or more precisely Knut's fans proved fatal to the poor panda.
The full story is here. But poor Knut! And poor Yan Yan too.
Also Meme!
Comment and I will...
1 - Tell you why I friended you.
2 - Associate you with a song/film/tv show.
3 - Tell a random fact about you.
4 - Tell a first memory about you.
5 - Associate you with a character/pairing.
6 - Ask something I've always wanted to know about you.
7 - Tell you my favorite user pic of yours.
8 - In return please spread this disease in your LJ.
no subject
Commenting.
no subject
2. Star Wars - hands down!
3. You're very knowledgeable in the reign and decapitation of Charles I. hee.
4. You wrote this amazing filk titled "Leia's got a gun".
5. I'd have to go with Han/Leia actually - although I will not venture into "The Courtship of Princess Leia" territory. ;P
6. Which of the SW films are your favourite, and why?
7. I do love "the dark lord of Exposition", but "We are a retro planet" also comes pretty close.
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Han/Leia is the first pairing I remember caring about (though I might have had some Ninja Turtles pairing preferences when I was six). However, a while back I stumbled on
Hmm, favorite films. I'd say A New Hope and Empire about equally, for different reasons. ANH has that great optimistic, lighthearted feeling, and a lot of what I've heard called the "sensawunda." All the locations, from the cantina to Yavin IV, have that feeling of "this is just so cool." I love the beautiful scenery, from the binary sunset to the jungles, and I love the "used universe" feeling that's everywhere (from the Lars garage to the Falcon). I'm also intrigued by how the optimistic mood works with the really, really dark things that happen in the movie (torture, planet blown up, Owen and Beru's smoking corpses...).
I love the dual plotlines of ESB, where Han and Leia face the external threats while Luke faces the internal threats. I love picking up with the characters three years later and getting to fill in the gaps of how they changed like that on my own - it's like jumping from the last Firefly episode to Serenity. I love the sense of the past influencing everything the characters are doing - why Luke wants to train, why Yoda and Ben react to him the way they do, Jabba still being out for Han's head, Han's "old friend" Lando... I also think ESB has the snappiest (and least painful) dialog, which counts for a lot in SW.
I like the other movies plenty (and have come to appreciate TPM much more over the years), but not quite as much. But they're all enough to get me rambling on like this :D
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And Horace and fandom it was. I loved that - and then I found your post about Dr. Zhivago and Star Wars. Great times.
Han/Leia is the first pairing I remember caring about
Yeah, I think looking back Han and Leia were my first OTP (and one of the few I have actually)That said everything in ANH is VERY odd relationship wise. Not only the Luke and Leia kiss, but also all the strange looks Han gives to Luke. Now this is probably viewing the film through slash-tinted goggles, but I don't see why not. Character and story wise it makes sense for Han to be fascinated by BOTH the Skywalker children.
I love the beautiful scenery, from the binary sunset to the jungles, and I love the "used universe" feeling that's everywhere
Oh absolutely. I can actually pinpoint the moment I fell in love with SW. It was Luke watching that twin sunset. I was probably about eight at the time, but that was it. Later when all the Jedi stuff started to appear I was completely sold.
(as much as I love the Falcon, scoundrels and Twi-leks - I love the Jedi more. They are just so damn fascinating. I also have an unhealthy obsession with the Mandalorians.)
As for favourite film I'd go with ESB - for many of the same reasons you've stated. I also feel the cinematography is better in that one. I rewatched it a few weeks ago and was truck by how incredibly beautiful it is. All the whites and blues of Hoth, the murky greens of Dagobah. In addition it's the Sw movie that isn't afraid to linger. My biggest gripe with "Sith" is that the pacing is too quick. No time is given to the viewer to let things sink in, to contemplate. I feel this gives the movie a rushed feel which isn't beneficial. (also there is too much CGI, but that is a different rant entirely)
and a lot of what I've heard called the "sensawunda.
You know first time I read this I thought: is this some strange foreign word I don't know? Then my brain caught up with my reading. Hee.
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That bothered me in RotS too. Hurry up, we've got to get to the Dark Side in under three hours! No, we can't cut any flying or wacky droid hijinks to free up more time for that! (Much as I love neat flying scenes and R2, they took up a lot of time in this movie.) Oh, well. I'll just focus on how gorgeous ESB is and be happy.
I had the exact same reaction the first time I saw (and heard!) that word, so you're not alone :D
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Lol! That should be an icon.
But I agree - they used a lot of time on showing droid's and CGI shots - and too little on the human factor. Also I always get the feeling that Anakin's fall was a little railroaded by Lucas. He just fell too easily.
But then again I feel that not filming the Clone wars was a huge mistake. Thankfully the cartoon version is wickedly cool. I do love Asajj Ventress.